I am sure anyone that has had a baby has at least one crib mattress protector. Somehow (although I am guessing it has a lot to do with the fact that I have had seven babies) I ended up with several of these mattress protectors. While they are great for cribs, I didn’t see much of a purpose for them after the baby grew out of the crib.
The other day I realized that they make great “sick pads.” When my little kids get sick I don’t like them to stay in their room. I want them on the couch close to me so I can keep an eye on them. The mattress protector covers two regular sized couch cushions and since it is waterproof it protects the couch from whatever ick your child is suffering from.
We put a crib mattress protector on the couch, then covered it with a sheet. My sick child was comfortable and secure knowing I was in the same room, and I was happy knowing my couch cushions wouldn’t need to be hosed down at the end of the day!
I love it when I am able to reuse items in my home, how about you? What is your favorite re-purposed item?
Kristi says
That is a FANTASTIC idea!! I’m about to have baby #2 and I’m sure we’ll end up with more of those 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Veronica @ A Quiet Heart says
I had actually not thought of using it for sick days, but, I kind of did something similar. I (re)used the crib matress protector during potty-training. It protected the couch, and I could fold it up (fairly easily) and take it along to gradma’s house to protect her carpet and furniture as well. 🙂
rj's mama says
looove your idea. thanks for this info 🙂
Allyson says
Towards the end of my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies I topped my seat in the van with a waterproof mat covered by an old towel. My first labor began with my water breaking and I didn’t want to go through labor & delivery knowing that my seat was drenched in amniotic fluid, yuck!
It turned out to be a good thing, because during my second labor, my water broke in the van about 2 miles from the hospital. Since the seat was covered so well everything cleaned up very nicely ?
Christy says
I used them on kids beds during the bed wetting stage. Now I am going to get them out of the donate box for sick kids. Great idea!
Stephanie says
Such a fantastic idea! I’m going to remember this…
Christina says
I reuse just about everything I can. Coffee cans are my fav. use it now for plastic silverware(which is also washed and reused) any plastic bottle can be reused. I took old shampoo bottles to make homemade handsoap. Old milk jug(glass one) is now a change jar. Receiving blankets made diapers or feminine products lol. LOOOVE to reuse things!
Sheri says
Great idea! Why didn’t I think of that? i am always using beach towels, which don’t always hold up. I am definitely going to try this!!!
Melissa says
Boy! That is a big ah ha moment for me. What a great idea. God bless ya!
Candace says
I was tired of my frying pan being to small for flipping pancakes so I bought a flate pan for that reason. But I hate having an item that I can only use for one thing. It didn’t take long for me to figure out it works great for toasting sandwiches (which we do often) and cooking tortillas (your recipe!). I’m sure I’ll find other uses for it too…like maybe cooking asparagus…
My potato masher also works great for making quacamole!
Ann says
With my kids out of the crib, I still use these pads for sick days. We recently suffered through the stomach bug, and the pads saved the floors from missed aims into the bucket.
Also, on a side note, I’ve always used a potato masher when browning ground beef or sausage. It breaks up the meat into even, small pieces.
Lynn says
Good idea about the masher and ground meat. I’ll use that one.
Tonya says
I have several. One of my favorites is folding tables, you know, the wooden kind that are used for food generally when you have extra guests or for watching TV while eating a snack or a meal. We received 4 of these long ago and over the years, 2 of them have had broken legs. I had one of my sons remove the legs but kept the table top as lap desks for writing, art, snacks, etc. They are quite comfortable if you put a pillow underneath them and are sold at stores with the bean bag padding (we have one of those, too).
Serena Morrow says
My youngest is five and I still use a baby monitor when any of my kids are sick. That way if they get sick in the middle of the night or need me they can call me easily without waking everyone else up. Our baby monitor recently quit working and had to be thrown away. I’m seriously considering buying another one for that purpose. In the meantime we’ve been using walkie talkies and they work good, too.
Mandy says
Aww…hoping I won’t need this tip any time soon!
Candi @ Family Stamping and FOOD! says
What a great idea! We re-use cheap cloth diapers I received at baby showers for “snot rags”, big bibs, bath rags and napkins at the table.
Kathie says
oh! this would also make for a good protector for the couch for potty training children such as my DD. Great idea and thanks!
Tracy @ Hall of Fame Moms says
great idea! If mine are still suitable, I may be doing this too.
Clare says
I use these on my bed during my cycle. That way if there is a “accident” you just wash the mattress pad and it doesn’t stain your mattress. I normally didn’t need it but it has become heavier as I have gotten older and it is a great safeguard.
kbreints says
I never had to purchase one of these as the crib mattresses already come plastic covered! Though I would say my favorite repurposed baby item was my baby bottle steamer (that went in the microwave) … it is great for making puppy chow! LOL
Sarah says
I use these for sick pads too. Or sometimes when the kids want to have a picnic on the living room floor. 🙂
Sarah says
Oh, and as a “stay on this mat and play” place when in the midst of potty training.
Upstatemomof3 says
That is really neat!! I will have to remember that one. My favorite repurposed item is the shower rod I hung in my laundry room to hang my clothes on so I can use my dryer less.
megan says
Great idea! I never thought about using it for that before.
L2L says
I recently learned how to make button holes in the dresses I make for my daughter. Because I am overseas, sometimes it is hard to find just the right buttons I need, so I have started collecting the buttons off of her old dresses and shirts that I will use for scraps in other projects. I also like to use the character pillow cases to make cute pillow case dresses for her, she really enjoys those.
Debbie says
I still use these protectors and my kids are 4 and 5. They sometimes have accidents at night so if they are having a sleepover, I just send one along. I would hate for my kids to be embarrased ruining something on accident.
susan willis says
where do I find them? I have been looking but can
‘t find not one
Alexi says
Awesome idea! Baby number 4 is suffering from some pretty bad reflux. Our third born had it so bad she required a feeding tube from 2-8 months old. Mattress protectors would be perfect to lay down for tummy time. I dreaded that time with my third born as the reflux would soak right through blankets!
My favorite re-use is turning old pillowcases and Daddy’s old button up shirts into dresses for our girls. Oh, and I love turning pants into skirts. And I use hubby’s faded Marine Corps uniforms for all sorts of stuff. In fact, I just made a long skirt using an old pair of pants. It’s quite comfy. One more thing…. I use long (knee high) socks that have holes in the feet and turn them into baby leg warmers.
HardestyMom01 says
Awesome idea! When my little ones are sick I have them lay on a beach towel and place a small bucket by their bed just in case they do not make it to the bathroom in time.